Because I loved the movie and I never thought that any country in Europe could be that poor in sometime at 20. century.
I didn't read the book and I know it is a autobiography. But after watching, as being a Turk and because of Midnight Express, I dont have much trust to Alan Parker and his obedience to reality.
So was the Ireland that poor for years?
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=24795200
take a look
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Yes Ireland was an incredibly poor country for a very long time.
It's kind of a myth that Europe is incredibly rich or at least, that it always has been.
Even in rich superpowers there are naturally people living in poverty. The streets are never made out of gold.
You can go to slums of Detroit and Miami which are ridiculously unkempt and impoverished.
But to the OP, yes, the Irish were poor in Ireland and America really up until after WWII.
Those foolish enough to move from canada to america increase the average I.Q. of both countries